I finally got on a great lease over on the Eastern shore of MD this past summer and the upcoming turkey season will be my first time to be able to get after them. Now that both deer and waterfowl seasons are over here, it's time to focus on the next part. I've never turkey hunted before and was wondering what I need to buy/learn in order to be successful. Decoys- how many? Calls- what kinds? Setup- Where and why? The property is just over 200 acres of creeks, marshes, hardwoods and has about 100 acres of crop fields. I feel confident in my shooting abilities (will be using shotgun, not bow) and have a good choke for waterfowl that I think I can use with the right turkey load. Any help is greatly appreciated. I know the season is still a ways away, but in order to get it right, I'm gonna need some prep time. Thanks Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Turkeys change patterns constantly... so early scouting can be tough. I would check those field edges and ditch lines a couple weeks before the season. Look for tracks and scatchings where they enter the field and skirt the ditch/creek edges... much like deer. I have never used a decoy. Don't call too much or try to get too fancy. Simple whines and clucks will serve very well. Get a CD/DVD and listen to/watch it. Don't try to call over the hens... you will probably lose. I have killed a bunch of turkeys in the middle of the day and in the afternoon. Gobblers will often come in around 10AM -2PM better than most people believe. Don't be afraid to close the distance in early morning when you hear one gobble in the distance but it really helps to know their travel route. They will travel the edge of ditches and creeks a lot... again find those tracks. When one approaches... plan your shot and draw when his head is covered... Watch for other birds that can bust you when you draw... my biggest challenge has always been getting only one bird to come in at a time and not being able to draw... I have mostly just used a shotgun for that reason.
I learned to call by buying a cd and a few mouth calls and practicing in the truck while listening to the cd everyday to/ from work. My favorite is a mouth call cause it requires no motion and I can get a lot of volume if I need to followed by a pot call, I have slate but looking to get a glass. Being in Alabama I use a crow call to locate after the suns good and up, and use an owl hoot early if they don't gobble on there own. Biggest thing I'm ding this year is to call less and be more patient. After a tom answers your call twice I will call less, just to keep him coming. But plan to sit for at least 30/60 minutes some birds come in quiet and I've been busted a ton getting up thinking the bird left. Last thing from me, if a hen answers you, repeat everything she does with a bit more intensity. The tom will follow the hen. Good luck Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
We have plenty of water on the property. I think I'm gonna have to get a CD and a mouth call. Will having a decoy make up for my lack of calling skills? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
Calling at the right time will Make up for lack of skill. But some real hens sound like a terrible guy calling. I only use a decoy if I'm in the wide open , cause when the tom gets within sight he will expect to see a hen. Best to try to be somewhere where he has to come looking. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I live in nj as well and the public land I am hunting has a lake surrounded by heavy woods, do you think that is a good place to set up or look for birds on the roost? Sent from my iPad using Tapatalk HD
The best turkey hunter I ever hunted with would call once... maybe twice. He would always say... the right spot is better than the right sound. He would walk for hours looking for the right spot to set up... listening... but mostly looking for tracks. Dude could kill some birds.
I usually use decoys !! They have always seemed to benefit me!! I have not been turkey hunting for that long but all three of the birds I have shot decided to kind of hang up untill they seen the decoys !! They came right in!! I have a video on YouTube of me and my sisters hunt!! Those turkeys came running to the decoys and started pounding the jake decoy!! They didn't even try to hurt the hen ! It was cool to know they could see the difference in the simple different coloring of the head!! I know allot of people that do not use decoys but it's one of them things if you use them once and they work on that hunt your probally going to be hooked on them and it can also go the other way around ! But for me I like them!! And as for calls I have only used the mouth calls!! I can get good volume and no movement necessary ! But do not over call a bird ! I like to act like I'm not really interested in the gobbler !! My first bird I actually went about 100 yrds further away from the gobbler and called ! Just softly!! He came in real fast!! But I have been busted a few times by birds I never new were around! Not all of them gobble there heads off!! They like to slip in quiet! So always keep ready ! Turkey hunting is a blast !! It takes some work but the rush you get from leveling a nice long beard is awesome ! Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
I can't really help you with turkey advice but will tell you a story. My dang dog... he got hold of a Rooster one evening... skinned all the feathers off its back and broke its leg and wing. The noise got be up and instead of closing the deal he "played" with it creating a bit of a ruckus. A slick trick at 18 yards works well on birds. In the AM only a fat dog and a few feathers were seen. I think I may like Turkey hunting with the bow... next season. Good Luck! Get a Good One!
What constriction is your waterfowl choke? I'd be willing to bet you'll want to go with something tighter for turkeys and I shoot tight waterfowl chokes and wouldn't use them for turkeys. As far as calls, lots of good calls out there. I only use mouth calls, never cared for any of the friction calls. IMO mouth calls are the only way to go. Your hands are on your gun not messing around with a call. Since you've never used a mouth call I would get one now and start practicing. I've had mixed results with decoys. I've had birds spot decoys and just hang up and I've had birds spot decoys and come running in. I think set up trumps decoys. I like to set up so that a bird has to crest a little ridge to see where the calling is coming from. And then its to late for him! Normally I don't take decoys anymore. At first light I like to get close to the bird on roost and try to get him to come in before he gets a bunch of hens. At that time of the day I call light and little, just enough to let him know where I am and hope he drops out to me. I may only call once just to let him know where I am and wait till after he's gobbled a few times on the roost before I call. IF he doesn't drop out to me and is on the ground i'll call a few times at him to get a feel for his mood. If he's coming I let him come. If I can tell he's not moving to me I move to a different set up and then its game on.I'm very demanding,very aggressive. I want him to think i'm the hottest, hornest hen in the woods.If he's got hens with him I try to pick a fight with a hen. I cant count the times I've been mouthing at a hen back and forth, had her come in and bring the gobbler with her. There is a few tips for the way I do it and it has worked for me. Hope this helps.
I use a Kick's modified for waterfowl. Not tight enough? I'll see what I have. I know turkeys have great vision, what about scent control? Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
For scent just go by cabelas and ask for their turkey in heat bomb. It will bring them in every time. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
You wont have to worry about scent, pretty much just the eyes. They have far better vision than deer. Kicks modified for steel is a standard IC constriction. Not nearly tight enough. Depending on what gun you have that could be from a 715-730 constriction. I like a 655.
Spend money on a good choke, good camo, try lots of calls, and a decoy. I prefer a full strut Tom and hen decoy. I have spent lots of money on calls trying to find one easy to use and sounds good my favorite is a diaphram bat wing cut Sent from my SCH-I545 using Tapatalk
Awesome thanks guys. I'll start getting a some things together. I'm looking forward to it. Sent from my iPhone using Tapatalk
